Val De Fun

VALERY SEREBRIAKOV, Jr. – Clown

By Dominique Jando

Vallery (Valery Serebriakov, Jr.) was born into a family of circus performers on November 11, 1969 in Semferopol, Ukraine. While growing up, he was trained in a wide range of circus skills and learned even more by watching his grandfather and his father perform. His father was one of Russia's greatest clowns, the legendary Valery Serebriakov, who for many years delighted Soviet and international audiences with his partner, Stanislav Shchukin.

In 1984, at the age of fourteen, Vallery followed in his mother's footsteps: he became an acrobat on horseback in the legendary equestrian troupe of Natalia Alexandre-Serge. But his father's influence eventually won out: three years later, Vallery began his apprenticeship with a Russian clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team., Vladimir Egorov (not to be confused with his homonym, the founder of the Egorov Troupe).

In 1992, after two years in the Russian Army and a brief stint as a solo clownGeneric term for all clowns and augustes. '''Specific:''' In Europe, the elegant, whiteface character who plays the role of the straight man to the Auguste in a clown team., Vallery teamed up with his childhood friend, Ludwig Shchukin, the son of his father's partner, and together they recreated most of their fathers' repertoire. They began touring abroad, notably in South America, before eventually separating. Ludwig returned to Russia, while Vallery found an engagement at Circus Vargas in the United States and settled in Los Angeles.

Vallery has performed extensively in the U.S., including two seasons with the Big Apple Circus and a long association with Tuffy Nicholas's Circus Hawaii. In 2009, he returned to Europe where he has been featured with Germany's Circus Krone.

See Also

• Video: Vallery, Teeterboard Entrée in the Big Apple Circus production of Carnevale (2003)
• Video: Vellery, Trapeze Entrée in the Big Apple Circus production of Carnevale! (2003)
• Video: Vallery, Water Entrée in the Big Apple Circus production of Picturesque (2004)

Image Gallery

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  Vallery